Algorithm Could Save Sailors’ Lives From Rogue Waves

Working with arithmetic can be rather boring for some, as figures and numbers are not the cup of tea for many people. However, it is simple mathematics that helps keep the whole world going and moving without breaking down. It seems that arithmetic again, is here to save the day – this time around it involves an algorithm that could actually save sailors’ lives as it gives out a warning whenever rogue waves are about to hit.

This is a novel algorithm for sure, thanks to the work done by MIT engineers who have come up with a prediction tool which will be able to provide sailors anywhere from two to three minutes of warning of an incoming rogue wave. This should be enough time for those sailors to shut down essential operations on a ship or an offshore program.

This particular algorithm would go through data from surrounding waves in order to hunt down clusters of waves which do have the potential to develop into a rogue wave. Using a wave’s group’s length and height, the algorithm will then get to work by computing the probability as to whether or not the cluster will be transformed into a rogue wave in the coming minutes. Rogue waves are no laughing matter, being high walls of water which overcome vessel and crew – we are talking about it being up to eight times higher compared to surrounding seas, and they strike silently to make matters worse.

Hopefully this new algorithm will be able to be implemented as soon as possible, and it would be great to have this work in tandem with Mitsubishi’s early tsunami warning system.

Edwin Kee
Categories: Computers
Tags: code